Falling into Place
by Devil-MayCare-Kid
Summary: My first attempt at a H.P. fic, please take that into consideration. Chapter 1: The gang heads back to Hogwarts for their final year of schooling. They meet the new D.A.D.A. teacher and Harry has his first 'episode' during the welcome feast.


"Harry? Dear could you do me a favour please?" Lily asked as she absent- mindedly attempted to flatten his hair. "Just like your father's, you should have seen how much potion he used to make it decent. It was fine until the vows then it sprang up at all these awkward angles."  
  
"I could probably do you a favour, that all depends on what it is." Harry replied with a grin as she pushed his mother's hands away and held his own upon his head to keep his hair flat. Lily pouted a little at the action; she wasn't used to seeing her own green eyes stare back at her, at least not coming from James' features.  
  
"Just check up with Amdi, make sure she's doing alright, I'm worried about her." Lily said softly glancing over her shoulder to James, he nodded in agreement and took her by the hand and led her away from their eighteen- year-old son.  
  
"It's time now Harry, we'll be seeing you soon." James said speaking up for the first time all evening.  
  
"No, Dad, don't go. I don't want to see the Dursley's again!" He complained but knew it was futile. They would leave again, they always left. He longed desperately for the day they stayed with him.  
  
"School starts tomorrow dear, you'll do just fine." Lily assured him sweetly as she allowed James to lead her a good distance way before she waved to him.  
  
"HARRY POTTER!" Uncle Vernon yelled, and Harry, now awake kept his eyes closed silently pleading for his uncle to leave so that he might be able to return to the dream. "HARRY! Let that bloody bird or yours in before the neighbors see it!"  
  
Realizing he'd left his window shut against the breeze he leapt out of bed and wrenched it open allowing he owl access to his small bedroom. Scowling at him his uncle made his way downstairs, to the kitchen judging by the sound of his footsteps. Grinning he turned back to Hedwig. "How was 'Mione?" Hedwig held out her leg as he removed the parchment and then nibbled on his finger.  
  
_'Great! Hermione got head girl! Can't say she doesn't deserve it.'_ He thought for a moment, proud of her accomplishments. "Well if she's got her badge already I guess that means I didn't get head boy, congratulations Ronald." Harry said sarcastically as Pig flew in through the still open window. "Just what I needed Pig, thanks. A gloating reminder."  
  
The letter however was not a gloating reminder. It was a letter of sincere outrage. Bewildered by the words on the page Harry read it aloud, as if hearing it would change the meaning of it. "Dear Harry, Guess you've gotten a letter from our dearest head girl by now. Congrats for her. What I can't stand is the head boy. You didn't get it, you deserved it. I didn't get it, and I deserved it more. But no, all of our well behaved term last year wasted! Malfoy got head boy! Can you believe it? It's disgusting! No way I'm listening to that dung beetle!" Harry sighed wishing that he still had Sirius around to talk to.  
  
Suddenly an idea struck him and he rummaged through his trunk for a moment before producing the Marauder's map. He tapped at it, instead of reciting the usual charm he as his wand made contact with the paper he spoke quietly. "A word with Padfoot and Prongs if you please." The parchment reacted immediately; script in four different hands appeared across the page.  
  
_'Sir moony feels upset at having been left out of the conversation, Sir Wormtail wishes for Harry Potter to be trampled by a heard of elephants, Prongs wishes for Wormtail to leave his dear son whom he is very proud of out of his business. I, Padfoot, assure young Scarhead that he will have a bloody brilliant school year with his young redheaded girl, I suspect you inherited your taste for redheads from Prongsy.'  
_  
Harry laughed lightly and glanced out at the darkened sky. _'Only a few more hours to go.'_ He reminded himself as he attached a lame excuse or a love letter to pig's leg. "Take this one to Ginny, not Ron again." Harry said with a sigh as the bird took off.  
  
It was a few minutes later, with images of Ginny floating through his mind, and eleven thirty p.m. on his clock that the young mister Potter fell asleep, not awaking for a good ten hours when Vernon was in his room again. "Time to head you out to your train." He said sounding somewhat less grouchy as usual. Harry quickly decided to not push his luck and got dressed without a word.  
  
A few hours later Harry was sitting in a compartment of the train with Hermione who was reviewing her summer homework. A few minutes later Ron and Ginny joined them, along with Luna Lovegood, just as the train began rolling.  
  
"Who's the new defense against the dark art's teacher?" Ron asked Hermione suddenly.  
  
"I- I don't know." 'Mione admitted after a moment's thought. She glanced around the compartment but it seemed that no one had an answer to his question.  
  
"Suppose we'll be finding out soon then." Luna said in her usual dreamy voice. She turned a few pages in her current issue of 'The Quibbler' which was now the most common wizarding magazine in Britain.  
  
"Excuse me?" Everyone turned at the unfamiliar voice, a girl who looked to be about their age stood in the compartment doorway, wavy black hair hung down to her shoulder blades and her golden brown eyes were glittering with excitement. She glanced around the compartment slowly. "No room in here either. Everywhere if full on this thing." She complained and began sliding the door shut when Ginny stopped her.  
  
"Come on in, really there's room." She said with a grin as she moved so she was basically siting on Harry's lap she kissed him on the cheek and batted her eyes teasingly.  
  
"Thanks." She said sitting down. She reminded Harry of someone but he couldn't put his finger on whom, it wasn't only her features, which were quite beautiful, nor was it solely her casual manner or her effortless grace. She reminded him of someone so strongly, someone who must've been on his mind many times.  
  
"This is my sister-" Ron had just begun the introductions but the girl waved a hand as if to silence him, assuming that was her intention it worked brilliantly.  
  
"Let me guess." She said with a sly smile on her face. As she turned to each one of them in turn. "Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, Ronald and Ginny Weasley, and the infamous Harry Potter." Their eyes widened and they each nodded at their name.  
  
Harry was taken back not only by the fact that he wasn't the first one to be recognized, but also at the mockery in her voice when referring to him. Luna was simply surprised at being the first recognized. "Do I know you?" She asked quickly shedding the dream quality of her voice.  
  
"You do now." The girl said leaning forward. "Amanda Black, it's a pleasure to meet you all."  
  
"How did I get stuck as you for head girl?" Malfoy glared at Hermione from the doorway. "Filthy little mudblood that you are! It's disgusting! Even Weasel wart would be better! Least he can pass for female."  
  
Harry glanced over at his two friends quickly. Ron was beat red and Hermione was holding her breath. "Get out Malfoy!" Harry shouted before something happened.  
  
"Respect your betters Potter, I'll leave when I'm bloody ready to." Draco retorted coldly.  
  
"Draco." Amanda said standing up and turning to face him. "Don't start already, it's too soon." Malfoy's eyes widened and he nodded before backing away quickly.  
  
"What was that about?" Ginny asked, but just then the prefects meeting was called, and the whole compartment excluding Amanda made their way towards the reserved compartment. The meeting was short and brief, they'd all heard it before, and when they arrived back at the compartment they found it empty.  
  
"Amanda Black?" Hermione said quietly. "She reminds me of someone." Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"Sirius maybe? A cousin of his or something?" Ron asked quietly.  
  
"No, there wasn't any Amanda in the family tree that he showed me." Harry said quietly.  
  
"I think she's transferred for her last year." Hermione stated.  
  
Ginny shook her head. "It doesn't make sense, why transfer during your last year?"  
  
"Well," Luna began. "Maybe her parents were killed by You-Know-Who this summer, there was an article about it in Daddy's magazine. Twenty four people he's killed since January." She said sadly.  
  
"So she transferred to Hogwarts because it's safer, everyone knows that much."  
  
"Sounds reasonable to me." Hermione said looking out the window at the scenery, no longer zooming by. "We're here!" She announced quickly.  
  
Luna ran off quickly to join some of her friends from Ravenclaw while Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny shared a coach up to the castle. They rode in silence and remained that way until they were seated in the Great Hall. Ginny and Hermione immediately found Lavender and began gossiping.  
  
"Did you get to meet that new girl?" Lavender asked in a giggly voice. "All the boys think she's gorgeous." She continued with a roll of her eyes.  
  
"Amanda Black?" Ginny asked quietly.  
  
"Aye, that'd be her!" Seamus said from his seat. "She talked to everybody on the train I reckon!"  
  
"She knew all our names." Hermione muttered in reply.  
  
"She's the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." Luna said from behind them. They all turned around slightly frightened as no one had heard Luna approach but then turned to the staff table. Sure enough there was Amanda, seated between Professor Snape and McGonagall.  
  
"She's too young." Ron thought aloud and turned to face Harry. "Isn't she?"  
  
"Might be an intern." Hermione adjusted her Head Girl badge as she spoke. She had more to say but fell silent as Dumbledore began his speech. Dumbledore, as well as covering the usual materials and overseeing the sorting ceremony introduced Amanda as Professor Black and warned them to tread cautiously around her. Harry was about to whisper something to Ron when Amanda's eyes caught his. A searing pain erupted in his head; everything went blurry, then lost all colours. Soon he was drifting through a timeless, boundless realm.  
  
"Hello?" He called out into the darkness. There was no answer, as he knew would happen, yet it frightened him none the less.

* * *

First attempt at a Harry Potter fic, I know it sucks so please forgive me. Reviews are always appreciated, and flames are welcomed ..


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